Disintegrating machine



Jan. 1, 1929.

Filed OCu 29, 1927 B CUNNIFF ET AL DISINTEGRATING MACHINE I INVEN'TOR BY 4 5%@ ATrOR Patented dan. l,

i l l rl" i S ill rss AP'ENT OFFICE.

BERNARD CUNNIFF, OF NEN/V YORK, AND NEXON LEE, OF FOREST HILLS, NEW YORK,

ASSIGNOES T COLLOIAL EQUPMENT PORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

GRPORATON, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A COR- DSINTEGRATENG MACHINE.

Application sied october as, i927. semi No. 229,702.

line grinding oli solids. One object thercct has been to provide a machine which will in a measure avoid the detects and insufficiensecured. 'Howeven where the ultra 'tinev grinding of solids has been attempted, many ditticulties have been encountered and devices 'ordinarily eilfcctive in the production ci emulsions have not been commercially suecesstul in the reduction ot solids. @ne rea-- son has been that such maehineshave had inadequate means for eectively adjusting` and maintaining accurate alignment or and suitable clearance between their active disintegrated members commonly called rotors. ln these devices disintegration is commonly eilected by Vpassing a solid between two rotors or between a rotor and a stator. ln any case, it is desirable to provide means Vfor adjusting the clearance between the d isintegrating members inasmuch uniformity oft the product and the degree of lineness to which a given solid is reduced depends in large measure on the rotor speed and maintaining a predetermined Clearance between the rotors.

This invention is particularly applica-ble to disintegrating machines or colloid mills in which the rotors are intended to operate at very high speeds such ttor example as SOO() 1t. l). M. or more. Heretoliore some diitlculty has been emperienced in maintaining alignment and eil'ective lubrication at high rotor speeds and over commercially practicable o-perating periods. Accordingly, it has been a further object ot our invention to improve the construction of disintegrating machines in such a. as to provide for adequate and effective lubrication of the moving parts and to maintain align-ment by mounting rotors and other rapidly moving parts on a single rigid shaft, thus avoiding axial displacement` between said rotors during operation oit the machine.

One embodiment of our invention is illustrated in the drawing accompanying the present specification, the single ligure ot which is a view partly in front elevation and partly in longitudinal vertical section. is indica-ted therein, a base 1 supports a fixed shaft 2, the ends oit which are mounted in spaced brackets 3 and 4l forming part of the base 1. Hubs 5 and 6 are mounted on the shaft 2, the former being spaced therefrom by means of ball races 7 and friction bearings 8 to form an opposed'or inner ends of said hubs 5 and 6.

Suitable means are provided for permitting effective adjustment of the clearance between said rotors 18 and 14e, including a `bushing 15 slidable longitudinally on a portion of shaft 2, said bushingbeing prevented from rotating with the hub by means ot a key or spline 16, and being threaded to engage a nut 17, another portion of which is threaded to cooperate with a threaded end van annular chamber between the inner wall of said hub and a portion of the outer wall of said bushing 15. A duct 22 is provided for the purpose or' admitting oil or other lubricant to said chamber.

` The rotors 13 and 14; and the opposed inner end portions of the hubs 5 and 6 are enclosed in a suitable casing or housing. As indicated in the drawing, such a housing is shown requires.

as prefe ably in two parts, a lower part 23 and a removable upper part 24, said parts having co-operating flanges provided lwith bolt holes and being' held together by bolts or other suitable means. The lower portion of the casing 23 is provided with a discharge opening 25. It is contemplated that both upper and lower portions of the casing will contain hollow chambers to accommodate either heating or cooling mediums such as steam, cold water and the like, said mediums being admitted therein through a suitable inlelt opening as 26 and discharged through an out let not shown.

F rom the foregoing description and the drawing therein referred to it will be apparent that our improved disintegrating machine presents a novel combination of rugged strength and sensitivene to precise adjust ment. lt is capable of operating continuously at high speeds over periods of time corresponding generally to a working day or such other time as the character ofthe grinding operation or of the material being treated The rotors and their hubs are conveniently adjusted to provide any prede'- termined spacing between the rotors and, when once set the adjustment and clearance remain unchanged during operation at high speed. The spacing of the hubs from the shaft forms a chamber in which an ample supply of lubricant is readily available to the bearings.

To repair, clean or inspect interior portions of our machine, it is only necessary to remove the upper half of the casing, release the ends of the sha-ft and lift the shaft and rotors from their operative positions. The rotors are then readily removed from the shaft if it is desirable to replace them or any of their parts.

7e claim as our invention:

1. A disintegrating machine comprising a base, a fixed shaft mounted therein, a pair of hubs rotatably mounted in spaced relation on said shaft, rotors mounted at the' opposed ,osa

ends of said hubs, and driving means for effecting relative rotation between said rotors.

2. A disintegrating machine comprising a base, a fixed shaft mounted therein, a pair of hubs rotatably mounted in. spaced relation on said shaft, anti-friction spacing' means intei-posed between said hubs and the shaft to form an annular lubricant holding chamber, rotors mounted at the opposed ends of said hubs, and driving means for effecting relative rotation between said rotors.

3. A disintegrating machine comprising a base, a fixed shaft mounted therein, a pair of hubs rotatably mounted in spaced relation on said shaft, rotors mounted at the opposed ends of said hubs, and driving means for effecting relative rotation between said rotors, said shaft having a longitudinal feed channel provided with an Vinlet opening beyond the outer end of a hub and a discharge opening between the opposed ends of said hubs.

4. A disintegrating machine comprising a base, a xed shaft mounted therein, a casing, a pair of hubs rotatably mounted in spaced relation on said shaft and with their opposed ends inside said casing, rotors mounted at the opposed ends of said hubs, and driving means for effecting relative rotation between said rotors. f

5. A disintegrating machine comprising a base, a fixed sha-ft mounted therein, a pair of hubs, a bushing mounted for longitudinal sliding movement between a portion of said shaft and one of said hubs, said hub being rotatably mounted on said bushing and movable longitudinally therewith and the other hub being spaced therefrom and rotatably mounted onsaid shaft, rotors mounted at the opposed ends of said hubs, and driving means for effecting relative rotation between said rotors.

In testimony whereof, we have signed our names to this specification this 27thday of October, 1927.

BERNARD CUNNIFF. NIKON LEE. 

